Junkyards, Gearheads, and Rust

[Lucsko] covers a lot of new and interesting ground in describing America's car culture, both its history and its technology.

This thoroughly-researched book belongs in the library of all historians who are interested in the business, cultural and environmental aspects of automobility. It also deserves careful attention from historians of technology who study maintenance, sustainability and recycling, as well as technological subcultures of adapters, tinkerers and creative re-users.

At times, a knowledge of automotive history and manufacturers would be a plus for readers, but this book is a treasure hunt through the wheels and fields of old car history that anyone with a hint of interest in the topic will enjoy, with no special knowledge necessary... Highly recommended.

Junkyards, Gearheads and Rust is above all an elegy to the open junkyard and the enthusiasts’ subcultures that they supported, to, in Lucsko’s words, ‘Saturday afternoon strolls through weed-covered relics’ (p. 132)... Well-researched and clearly written, Junkyards, Gearheads and Rust is a welcome and often thought provoking, evocative, and exuberant addition to the scholarly literature on Americans and automobiles.

In this engaging book, Lucsko vividly articulates the culture of yard owners and users. The resulting book is a major work in discard studies and a valuable contribution to our understanding of automobiles as objects with histories informing their present and future value.